August 1, 2018 was a great day for the future of the pet care industry as industry leaders, New York based startups, and those considering a pet care startup got together to share ideas, progress, support and friendship at WeWork SoHo in New York City. Innovative food and treats, pet tech, apps, services, and a scent-based calming solution for anxious dogs were all featured in this event to support pet care entrepreneurs.
Co-Presented with NYC PetTech Meetup, Pet Retail World, and the World Pet Association, the event was livestreamed for those not able to be in New York. If you missed the session, you can see all the startups and panelists in a recording of the event here.
The first in a three city series, the event featured 8 startups, a panel discussion with industry experts, and more than a few dogs (WeWork SoHo is pet-friendly!). The Pet Care Innovation Prize produces these events to help pet care entrepreneurs find the information and industry support they need to succeed.
Startups selected by the PCIP included Diggs, Guardian Pet Food Company, How I Met my Dog, My Pet My Scent, PuppTech, ShopKetti, SpotOn.pet and Well Informed Pet, showing the depth and breadth of startups in the $70B pet care industry coming from the New York area. They got a lot from the event, too, including quality conversations with peers as well as expert panelists who spent time with each startup. As Zel Crampton, founder of Diggs said:
“We’re in the midst of finishing our first production run and launching our eCommerce site, so it was great to meet founders from other startups in the pet industry that had succeeded in doing that. We got some great feedback that will help us build the partnerships necessary to help us succeed, and we really appreciated the time and feedback from all of the panelists.”
Lowell Kaufman, founder of Well Informed Pet, found strategic insights at the event, saying:
“My startup is at a crucial point in its maturity where we are pivoting from a B2C business to a B2B model. Panelists like Jason Klein and Bill Broun, with their vast investment experience, provided some great and helpful insights during this critical time in my startup’s journey.”
Experts in the industry helped bring valuable insights about the industry to the startups. Panelists included:
- Shahrina Ankhi-Krol – attorney with a niche practice in the Pet Industry
- Bill Broun – Vice President and Business Development Officer at Purina/9 Square Ventures
- Chris Gonzalez – founder of Barkly Pets (Grand Prize Winner of the 2018 Pet Care Innovation Prize)
- Courtney Harold – Head of Sales and Marketing at the World Pet Association
- Jason Klein – founder, investor and chairman of Harvard Angels in NY
- Dan Reus – Pet Care Innovation Prize (moderator)
Panelists got a lot from the event, too, as investor and cat owner Jason Klein said:
“Pet company founders bring such passion to their entrepreneurial vision! I’m hoping there will be more cat startups in the mix next year.”
There’s a lot of energy and opportunity in the pet care industry – thanks to all the participants!
The PCIP will be doing additional events in 2018 – Chicago on 8/15 and San Francisco on 8/29. If you’d to like showcase your own startup, you can apply here. If you’d like to attend (either in person or via livestream) and learn more about succeeding as a pet care entrepreneur, you can register here for Chicago and San Francisco events.
If you have an innovative pet care startup, consider applying for the Pet Care Innovation Prize today!